brief

SKILL.md

Content Brief

Produce a complete, editor-ready content brief covering intent analysis,
competitive SERP review, content outline, E-E-A-T requirements, and SEO targets.

Before You Start

Gather this context (ask if not provided):

Target keyword or topic. The primary keyword this content should rank for.

Business context. What does the company do? What should readers do after reading (sign up, buy, contact)?

Content type preference. Blog post, landing page, guide, comparison, tutorial?

Audience. Who is reading this? Beginners, practitioners, decision-makers?

Step 1: SERP Analysis

Analyze what currently ranks for the target keyword:

Search the keyword (use web search) and review the top 5-10 results.

Identify the dominant intent. Are results informational guides, product pages, listicles, tools?

Note the content format. Average word count, heading structure, use of images/tables/videos.

Find the gaps. What do all top results cover? What do none of them cover well?

Record:

Rank
Title
URL
Format
Approx. Length
Unique Angle

1
...
...
guide / listicle / tutorial
...
...

Step 2: Intent Mapping

Determine the exact user intent and map it to content structure:

"How to" intent → Step-by-step tutorial with numbered sections

"What is" intent → Definition + context + examples + next steps

"Best X" intent → Curated list with comparison criteria and recommendations

"X vs Y" intent → Side-by-side comparison table + verdict

"Review" intent → Hands-on evaluation with pros/cons/alternatives

The content structure must match what the searcher expects to find.

Step 3: Content Outline

Build a detailed outline with:

Title Options (2-3 variants)

Select the formula that matches the content type:

Content Type
Formula
Example

How-to / Tutorial
"How to [Goal] in [Timeframe]"
"How to Fix Crawl Errors in 30 Minutes"

How-to (objection)
"How to [Goal] Without [Objection]"
"How to Build Links Without Cold Outreach"

Listicle
"[N] [Adjective] [Topic] [Qualifier]"
"9 Proven Link Building Strategies for SaaS"

Comparison
"[A] vs [B]: Which Is Better for [Goal]?"
"Ahrefs vs SEMrush: Which Is Better for Keyword Research?"

Definition
"What Is [Topic]? [Short Clarifier]"
"What Is Topical Authority? How It Affects Rankings"

Ultimate guide
"The [Complete/Definitive] Guide to [Topic]"
"The Complete Guide to Technical SEO"

Mistakes
"[N] [Topic] Mistakes [Consequence]"
"7 Internal Linking Mistakes That Kill Rankings"

CTR boosters — test adding these elements:

Element
Expected CTR Impact

Add a number
+15-25%

Add current year
+10-15%

Add brackets or parentheses
+10-38%

Add a power word (Proven, Essential, Ultimate)
+5-12%

Rules:

Include the primary keyword

Keep under 60 characters (55 for mobile safety)

Use odd numbers in listicles (they outperform even)

Rewrite if CTR is below 2% at positions 1-3 or below 5% at positions 4-10

Meta Description

Select a template and adapt:

Content Type
Template

Blog / Guide
"Learn [topic] with our [qualifier] guide. Covers [point 1], [point 2], and [point 3]. [CTA]."

Question-answer
"[Question]? This [year] guide explains [what], [why], and [how]. Get actionable tips now."

Listicle
"Discover [N] [adjective] [topic] strategies that [result]. Backed by [proof element]. Read the guide."

Comparison
"[A] vs [B]: which is better for [use case]? We compared [criteria]. See the winner + detailed breakdown."

Product/Service
"[Product] helps you [benefit]. [Feature 1], [Feature 2], [Feature 3]. [Price/offer]. [CTA]."

Rules:

150-160 characters (aim for 140-155 for mobile safety)

Include the primary keyword naturally

End with a clear value proposition or call to action

Add numbers or statistics where possible (+5-15% CTR boost)

Heading Structure

Map out every H2 and H3 with brief guidance for each section:

H1: [Title]
  H2: [Section 1] — what to cover, target length
    H3: [Subsection] — specific points
  H2: [Section 2] — what to cover
  ...
  H2: FAQ — 3-5 questions from People Also Ask

Key Points Per Section

For each H2 section, specify:

The main point to make

Data or examples to include

How this section differs from competitor coverage

Internal link opportunities (link to related pages on the site)

Step 4: E-E-A-T Requirements

YMYL Check

First, determine if the keyword falls into "Your Money or Your Life" territory (health,
finance, legal, safety). YMYL topics trigger elevated E-E-A-T requirements from Google:

YMYL keywords require: named author with verifiable credentials, citations to official
sources (.gov, .edu, professional bodies), clear disclosure of affiliations, and medical/
legal/financial review where applicable.

Non-YMYL keywords still benefit from E-E-A-T but don't require the same rigor.

Author Qualification

Specify what credentials the author needs for this topic:

Topic Type
Author Requirement

YMYL (health, finance, legal)
Licensed professional or verifiable expert with public credentials

Technical (code, engineering)
Demonstrated practitioner experience (portfolio, GitHub, publications)

Business/marketing
Industry experience or named case studies

General informational
Byline with bio is sufficient

Evidence Floor

Set the minimum evidence bar for this piece:

Content Type
Minimum Sources
Source Tier Requirement

Research/data-driven
5+ citations
At least 2 primary sources (official docs, studies, .gov/.edu)

How-to / tutorial
2-3 citations
Official documentation for tools/methods referenced

Opinion / thought leadership
3+ citations
Data to support each major claim

Comparison / "best X"
1 per item reviewed
First-hand testing evidence for each

E-E-A-T Signals

Specify what the content needs:

Experience: First-hand examples, case studies, screenshots, "we tested this" statements

Expertise: Cite specific data, reference industry standards, show depth beyond surface-level

Authoritativeness: Link to authoritative external sources, reference recognized frameworks

Trustworthiness: Include dates, update frequency, author bio, transparent methodology

E-E-A-T Priority by Content Type

Different content types weight E-E-A-T signals differently. Focus effort where it matters most:

Content Type
Experience
Expertise
Authority
Trust
Top Priority

Product review
Critical
High
Medium
High
Experience — hands-on testing evidence

How-to guide
High
Critical
Medium
High
Expertise — demonstrate deep knowledge

Research/data
Medium
Critical
Critical
Critical
Authority + Trust — sourced data, methodology

Opinion piece
Critical
High
High
Medium
Experience — personal credentials and POV

Comparison
High
High
Medium
Critical
Trust — unbiased criteria, transparent methodology

News/reporting
Medium
Medium
Critical
Critical
Authority — recognized source, editorial standards

Content Quality Checklist (Top Priorities)

For every piece, verify at minimum:

 Author identified with relevant credentials visible on page

 At least 1 first-hand experience element (case study, screenshot, "we tested")

 All statistics have named sources and dates

 At least 2 references to primary sources (not just other blog posts)

 Published date visible; content updated within 18 months

 No unsupported superlatives ("best", "fastest", "most effective") without evidence

Step 5: SEO Targets

Element
Target

Primary keyword
[keyword]

Secondary keywords
[2-3 related terms]

Word count range
[min-max based on SERP analysis]

Internal links to include
[list specific pages to link to]

External links to include
[types of sources to cite]

Images/media
[count and types: screenshots, diagrams, tables]

Featured snippet target
[yes/no — if yes, which format: paragraph, list, table]

Step 6: Differentiation Angle

The brief must specify what makes this piece better than what already ranks:

More current: Updated data, recent examples

More practical: Templates, checklists, step-by-step screenshots

More comprehensive: Covers subtopics competitors skip

More specific: Targets a niche the broad pieces miss

Original data: Survey results, internal data analysis, expert quotes

Pick 1-2 angles. Trying to win on all dimensions produces generic content.

Output Format

Content Brief: [target keyword]

Overview

Target keyword: [keyword]

Search intent: [type]

Content format: [blog post / guide / comparison / etc.]

Target word count: [range]

Target audience: [who]

Business goal: [what readers should do after]

SERP Competitive Landscape
[Table from Step 1]

Title Options

[option 1]

[option 2]

[option 3]

Meta Description
[150-160 char description]

Content Outline
[Full heading structure with guidance per section]

SEO Targets
[Table from Step 5]

E-E-A-T Checklist

 First-hand experience demonstrated

 Expert-level depth on core topic

 Authoritative sources cited

 Trust signals included (dates, author, methodology)

Differentiation
[What makes this piece better than current top results]

Pro Tip: Use the free Keyword Density Analyzer
and TF-IDF Tool to benchmark competitor
content depth for your target keyword. SEOJuice MCP users can run /seojuice:keyword-analysis
for search volume and difficulty, and /seojuice:content-strategy to check if the topic
fits an existing cluster or fills a content gap.